Truckers shut down southern Italy. A South African says take notes

Mishkah Van Der Schy (@mishkahv), a South African living in southern Italy, posted a TikTok on 24 October explaining how truck drivers there brought much of the region to a standstill over fuel prices. Her message to the world is simple: this is how you protest. The clip has about 373,000 views and 53,700 likes.

Since mid October, truckers in southern Italy have parked their rigs on highways and outside warehouses and fuel depots to protest high diesel prices, leaving petrol stations dry and supermarket shelves empty. On 22 October Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's cabinet approved an extra €106 million in fuel tax credits for truckers, and drivers in Sicily and Calabria called off their roadblocks, Reuters reported. Some truckers in Naples said the aid wasn't enough and kept protesting, according to ANSA.

In a comment under the video, she converts Italy's pump prices to rand: R38.45 a litre for petrol and R43.02 for diesel (her figures, not checked by Reported). Many South Africans in the comments asked whether a protest like this could work at home. Back here, the general fuel levy drops from 4 November.

What the comments are saying

@furrymom00:

"South Africa we need to fight for our rights ,together!!! we have the power!" (5,402 likes)

@mishkahv:

"The cost of gas in Italy in Rands Petrol: R38.45 per litre Diesel: R43.02 per litre 😳😭" (2,686 likes)

@blik.on.tik:

"love this, south africa must learn" (1,715 likes)

@queismyname:

"South African doesn’t quite understand its power and what that looks like as a united front. Problem is we’re constantly being distracted with politics that divide us. They know exactly what they’re doing and we fall for it EVERY TIME" (252 likes)

@dala5652:

"this is what I call south African. she is an ambassador for us 🇿🇦💞🤲🏻💐" (137 likes)

@shirley07771:

"South Africa..cost of living is very high.." (92 likes)

@fowziaaaa:

"Most South Africans literally cannot afford not to work for any period of time and we need to be mindful of that when suggest protests like this here." (51 likes)

@lazo3383:

"I got lost in her Italian south african cape town accent🥰" (30 likes)

Video and image: @mishkahv on TikTok.